Island Hotel tackles major expansion

A construction worker accesses a lighting panel in the ceiling of the Balboa Room addition to the the Cabana Room at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, which is owned by the Irvine Co., is undergoing an expansion that will add ballroom and meeting space. The new ballroom will be more than 8,700 square feet, the largest in the city. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

The new terrace area addition is under construction at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, center left, and will bring the outside into the cabana area at the hotel. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

A worker applies new facing material on a sliding wall in the main ballroom of The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The ballroom is being expanded to more than 8,700 square feet and will make it the largest in the city. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

Workers install a temporary window in the Cabana Room, a new full wall door is on order and will be added in a few months at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

A construction worker maneuvers a ladder around scaffolding in the new terrace space addition to the Cabana Room at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

A kitchen employee checks a pair of glasses for water spots in one of the dining rooms at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The hotel, which is owned by the Irvine Co., is undergoing an expansion that will add ballroom and meeting space. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

1 of 8

A construction worker cleans up debris in what will be the new addition to the main ballroom at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY R

•Balboa Room: The former gift shop was converted into 750 square feet of space for corporate meetings or weddings.

Top 5 O.C. hotels for meeting space, in square feet

136,000

Disneyland Hotel

120,000

Hilton Anaheim

80,768

Anaheim Marriott

65,000

Hyatt Regency O.C., Garden Grove

57,000

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Spa & Resort

Brides checking out the Island Hotel in Newport Beach this summer got an unexpected extra before touring the facilities: a hard hat.

Island General Manager Donald Stamets laughs as he talks about the unorthodox sales approach, but he said it was unavoidable while the resort underwent a major expansion of its meeting and event space.

The Island's 6,000-square-foot expansion comes amid a nationwide resurgence in the hospitality industry as hotels rush to take advantage of renewed demand for business and social functions.

Meeting business at hotels plunged after the Wall Street meltdown, hitting a low in 2009. But the industry is projecting a 20 to 30 percent increase in 2013 over this year, said consultant Alan Reay, president of the Atlas Hospitality Group in Irvine. Over the next 12 months, U.S. hotels are expected to spend $5 billion on renovations and upgrades.

"(The Island's expansion) is a great idea and the timing is definitely right," Reay said.

The Irvine Co., which owns the Island, embarked on the expansion after the hotel's meeting business began to turn around late last year, Stamets said.

At the same time, several new projects in the hotel's Fashion Island neighborhood, including the new Pimco office tower and expansion of the Irvine Co.'s complex, also offer new opportunities for corporate meetings and group events.

The Island's new space includes a bigger, more flexible ballroom and ballroom foyer for larger groups and trade shows.The hotel's Cabana Room is nearly 50 percent bigger and can be opened up to an adjacent covered outdoor terrace, making it available for indoor and outdoor events. A former gift store and administrative space was converted to a room for small meetings or a bridal suite.

Stamets said the additions will allow the hotel to host larger business, charity and community events, as well as other social functions, such as bar and bat mitzvahs. He also plans to hire an Indian chef so the hotel can reach out to Orange County's growing Indian community.

"We want to become the social center of Newport Beach again," Stamets said.

Laurie Davies, owner of Five Star Weddings & Events Inc. in Laguna Niguel, said she liked the idea of the indoor Cabana Room opening to the outdoor terrace for weddings and receptions while the nearby Balboa Room can be used as a bridal suite.

She said the indoor/outdoor option gives the hotel something different to offer groups, an important feature since the Island doesn't have ocean views like the St. Regis Monarch Beach, the Montage or other resorts on the water.

"Some groups like to stay outside," she said.

Work on the Cabana room and Balboa Room was completed this week. The ballroom expansion, which will give the hotel a total of 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space, is scheduled to be finished the first week of November.

Stamets said holiday bookings are brisk and, unlike the last few years, companies started as early as August making reservations.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.